IBM Mainframe Forum

Hello,

Hope this is the right place for this problem. I am trying really hard to get into mainframe and finding it so obscure. I have a little experience of ISPF, but as I only have RPF to work with, I am stuck. Does it actually work with no problems? I can't get any further than creating a dataset. I've created HERC01.TEST.COBOL but cannot do anything with it. Using option 2 Edit, I've got my dataset in the Dsname parameter of the section "Data set information (blank Dsname to edit current workspace)". If I leave the member blank, nothing happens when I hit enter. If I enter a member name (which I THINK is how you create a new member in ISPF), I get the message "Alloc failed, rc= 0024".
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hello,

What does RPF mean in this topic?

If you have successfully installed Hercules and an operating system and ISPF, editing should be Very similar.

How did you create the COBOL file?

RPF is a non-IBM utility written for the MVS Tur(n)key MVS 3.8J package. It's designed to replace the licensed product, ISPF. I don't have access to a mainframe or ISPF so it's all I have. My dataset was created with the RPF option of allocating datasets. If you know an emulator package with ISPF I'd be interested.

If you are lucky, Prino will look in on this topic.

http://members.quicknet.nl/rn.prins/Rpf_En.htm

Hello,

Thanks - in my world RPF is for ROSCOE Programming Facility.

I've not yet done this, but is there no editor with the MVS 3.8J package?

Can you run JCL on your system yet?

Ah, I understand a little more from the link. Rob's programming facility. Surely there are few mainframers that don't have access to ISPF which would explain that it's not well known. The fact that it's intended for experienced people may well be my problem. I was expecting an editor to open when I got the error message described previously. I haven't tried running JCL yet. All I can do is use basic TSO commands to try and find some and try running it.

If you do some googling, you'll find there are some places where Hercules and associated matters are discussed. May be worth trying in one of those.

Native TSO has an EDIT command. I've used it -- long ago -- and it is not fun to use, but perhaps if you edit the member before trying to access it through RPF that would let you get to it through RPF.

I have not used RPF but have you tried the help key (F1) at various locations? I would assume that that would bring up context help. Does RPF have a tutorial option from its main menu? Have you tried reading the ISPF User manuals? They should give you some insight into the way RPF works. Prino "usually" drops in during the day so as he wrote RPF he should be able to give you the definitive answers.

BillyBoyo wrote:If you are lucky, Prino will look in on this topic.

http://members.quicknet.nl/rn.prins/Rpf_En.htm

There are more dogs called Fido...

This particular Prino has nothing to do with RPF, and a lot more with hitchhiking.